Best science fiction story of all-time nomination thread

[miajag]

The Veldt.

[disjunction]

"The Last Question" -- Isaac Asimov

[swede123]

I know it's not exactly sci-fi in its purest sense but I'm a big fan of Steven King's "The Mist."

Swede

[Georgia Avenue]

Neat idea...I haven't read too many SF short stories, but I'll nominate some that I've loved...

The Fifth Head of Cerberus : Gene Wolfe -- Later used as part of a three part novel, this story of a boy scientist who may be a clone growing up in a decrepit whorehouse on a planet modeled after Rimbaud's North Africa is probably my favorite short story ever...yes, better than "Araby"...

Every other Gene Wolfe story ever -- I'm a nerd.

Johnny Mnemonic: William Gibson-- Just a little bit better than the film. OK a lot better.

A Little Something For Us Tempunauts -- Philip K Dick...good description on this wiki

Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman -- Harlan Ellison


Even less science fictiony:
The Brave Little Toaster - Tom Disch (You heard me!)

[dangerous_badman]

Anything by Greg Egan IMHO. If I had to pick... Orphanogenesis excerpt from Diaspora

[Paluka]

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut

[adanthar]

[ QUOTE ]
I know it's not exactly sci-fi in its purest sense but I'm a big fan of Steven King's "The Mist."

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

It's too long, too, otherwise I would second it. As it is, I think Flowers for Algernon and The Cold Equations are both really close together for best of all time - hard to say. Funny how all the really good SF has tragic endings.

(BTW, there's a big collection of classic SF stories just released by David Drake and Eric Flint (yeah, I know, I know) - it has a lot of the classics and probably half the stories that will be mentioned in this thread. Check it out.)

[offTopic]

I've got an old, dusty collection of Ray Bradbury short stories, most of which I really liked.

The Veldt, as mentioned in this thread, was very cool.

The one mentioned in this thread where the girl misses the sun, I think, is All Summer In A Day.

A Sound Of Thunder was a good story as well, despite, apparently, the quality of the movie.

[waxie]

The Cold Equations is pretty badass.

[waxie]

[ QUOTE ]
I know it's not exactly sci-fi in its purest sense but I'm a big fan of Steven King's "The Mist."

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if it's sci-fi or not, but it's one of my all time favorite stories.